The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a key element for any peace initiative in Middle East.

In spite of the initiatives from the Cuarteto de Madrid with the road map, of the proposals of peace of some European governments, of the retreat of the Israeli troops from Gaza, of shuttle diplomacy to the area, of the last meetings between Abbas and Olmert, and in spite of the relaunch of the Saudi peace plan, the reality in the region nowadays is:

Forty years of occupation, no serious direct negotiations in seven years, an increase of settlements in the West Bank, more severe laws in the occupied territories which make very difficult to live in Palestine, a retaining wall between Palestinian and Israeli people and a separation wall between Palestinian people themselves.

If the Israeli and the USA government don’t negotiate with the new Palestinian unity government , and international community doesn’t take part about the viability of this new government, and if Hamas doesn’t recognise the right of Israel to exist, the situation will probably keep being entangled.

Although Gaza seems to be an autonomous region, it is still controlled by earth, sea and air by Israel, so the Rafah crossing is the only way out to Palestinian people, becoming this way a cause of suffering and humiliation which can be called ‘territorial prison’. Meanwhile, incursions, raids and arrests keep going on in the West Bank. However, after the Lebanon war, an atmosphere in favour of peace and negotiation is thriving, so much between Palestinian people as between Israeli people. Conclusions drawn from recent polls show that a wide sector of the both populations are in favour of carrying out immediate peace negotiations, because they think that the conflict can’t be resolved through arms . The need of creating meeting and dialogue spaces to offer a free and wide discussion about the different perspectives of peace between both countries, which will be heard by the public opinion, and will have an influence in the current context of this regional and international conflict. The International Conference: “Ways to peace in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict” has the aim of make known different movements, pacifist organizations, politicians, leaders and intellectuals of the Palestinian, Israeli and Spanish civil society, which are acting in favour of peace so that the public next to people and organisms involved in the topic, know closely different actors and main characters who work in and for the region. This forum seeks to reflect the current situation of the conflict in its most diverse aspects and to favour a space of dialogue and reflection on the different actions around the Peace.

To that end, the combined Palestinian-Israelis and European interventions will make known, generating this way new proposals to help and influence in the perspectives of peace, standing out the importance of the civil society.